CHAPTER 5 STUDY GUIDE - Claire Mulder and Jithmi Pathirana
Chapter Summary by Jithmi
Chapter five of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee begins with readers discovering that Scout is being excluded by both her brother Jem and the boy who asked her to marry him, Dill. With no one else to go to, Scout has no other choice than to turn to their neighbor and old friend Miss Maudie Atkinson. Miss Maudie is a widow who has always maintained a good relationship with the Finch siblings; she would never rat them out to Atticus and they an agreement which involved allowing the children into her back lot as long as they stayed away from her beloved garden. More information is provided about the early life of Arthur “Boo” Radley through Miss Maudie, who knew him as a little boy. Miss Maudie explains to Scout one night that while Arthur was polite as he could be towards her when they were young, being trapped inside that house for so many years must have driven him crazy. She also reveals her distaste for people who make rumors about Boo Radley and she says to Scout that there are some people who are so worried about the next world they forget to live in this. The next morning, Dill and Jem attempt to shoo Scout away as always, but she refuses and they have no choice but to let her in on their big plan for the day. Jem and Dill decide to sneak Boo Radley a note ordering him to come out of his house and offering to give him some ice cream and not harm him if he did so. Since they are all quite terrified of the Radley Place and what lies inside it, they choose to use a fishing pole to stick the note on the window in order to avoid being found or caught. Scout and Dill are assigned the job of watch outs: with Scout stationed in the back garden of the Radley house and Dill at the front of the house, ready to ring a silver dinner bell which once belonged to Jem and Scout’s mother if he sees anyone coming. The plan is quickly shattered when Dill ends up ringing the bell and coming face to face with Atticus Finch. Atticus is extremely disappointed with what the children were trying to do, telling them to respect Boo Radley’s privacy and the Radley family’s right to live in peace without being bothered by children. Jem protests to this at first and insists that they were not making fun of Boo Radley, but Atticus uses his courtroom techniques to force Jem to admit that Boo was involved in their games. Frustrated, bewildered and offended that his father had tricked him; Jem pouts and yells at Atticus that he once used to want to become a lawyer but now he wasn’t so sure.
Setting by Jithmi
Mostly set in Miss Maudie’s house, the Finch household backyard and the Radley Place.
Character Profilesby Jithmi
Readers have gotten to know the characters of Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, Jeremy "Jem" Finch, Charles Baker "Dill" Harris, Atticus Finch and Boo Radley in earlier chapters and this continues in chapter five. Miss Maudie Atkinson was briefly mentioned before in the book but her character develops a great deal in this chapter.
Even though he was indirectly referred to as the brother that Atticus payed medical school tuition for, a new character is introduced in the chapter: Uncle Jack.
Characters in order of mentioning and appearance
Jean Louise “Scout” Finch: Chapter five begins with Scout being excluded by her brother Jem and friend Dill, which makes her naturally feel neglected. Her opinion of Dill also declines because of how easily he followed Jem. Due to this she grows closer to her neighbor Miss Maudie, who answers many questions she’s had about Boo Radley and life in general. Eventually she is allowed to join in Jem and Dill’s plan to send Boo Radley a note, but only because they feared she would tell on them.
Jeremy “Jem” Finch: Jem’s pride as an older brother and boy take center stage in this chapter when he decides to become closer to Dill and shut out Scout from their plans. He masterminds a plan to sneak Boo Radley a note, but this plan is not successful and they are caught by Atticus. Jem greatly desires his father’s approval and when Atticus scolds him for making fun of Boo Radley and tricking him into admitting it, he becomes upset and yells after Atticus that, “I thought I wanted to be a lawyer but I ain’t so sure now!”.
Charles Baker “Dill” Harris: We find out in the beginning of this chapter that Dill asked Scout to marry him earlier on in the summer and had said she was the “only girl he could ever love”. However, he joins Jem in excluding Scout from all their activities. He later becomes the lookout during Jem’s plot to sneak Boo Radley a letter. While participating in the plan as a look out he is the one who rings the silver dinner bell in Atticus’s face, leading their plan to failure.
Miss Maudie Atkinson: Though Miss Maudie was mentioned earlier in the book, readers are given a much better idea of who she is when Scout decides to spend more time with her now that her brother and friend are ignoring her. Miss Maudie is a widow who hates her house and loves being outside it at all times. She is very protective over her garden of flowers which she tends to constantly. The neighbor of Jem and Scout, Miss Maudie understands children well and has deals with the Finch children that help them see her as a friend. She once knew Arthur “Boo” Radley and she says that although he was “as polite as he could be” to her when they were little, being locked inside that house for so long must have driven him insane. She does not believe or like people making rumors about Boo Radley and she believes that the Radley’s spend too “much time worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one”. Miss Maudie is the same as Atticus in the sense that she teaches Scout to question prejudice and treat people with respect, e.g. Boo Radley.
Arthur “Boo” Radley: Through Miss Maudie, Boo Radley’s character slowly transforms from a one dimensional monster to a human being in this chapter. He is said to have been very polite in his young years and it becomes more understandable that he must have suffered mentally from being locked inside his house and by his father’s intolerance and cruelty.
Uncle Jack Finch: Uncle Jack is a new character introduced as a doctor and Atticus’s younger brother- ten years his junior. He is a rich and successful doctor who lives in Nashville. Readers find out about him through Miss Maudie, who knew him because they had “grown up together at Finch’s Landing”. Every Christmas when he visits Jem, Scout and Atticus, he becomes drunk and asks Miss Maudie to marry him. The impression is given that he is not a serious character.
Atticus Finch: Atticus in this chapter plays a small but important role, catching the kids during their plan to give Boo Radley a note. He expresses his disapproval of how they are ridiculing Boo Radley and succeeds in forcing Jem to admit that they are making fun of Boo.
Key Elements/Events by Claire
1) For each key element, what sort of atmosphere is evoked? Which words or phrases help to create this atmosphere?
When Dill is a lookout in Jem's plan to send Boo Radley a letter and he rings the warning silver dinner bell in Atticus Finch's face, the children are forced to explain exactly what it is they are doing despite the fact that they know Atticus disapproves of it, and Jem becomes very ashamed of his actions and angry at the fact that Atticus used his lawyer tricks to get them to admit that what they had done was wrong. An atmosphere of shame and tension is created. "Jem looked so awful I didn't have the heart to tell him I told you so. He trudged along , dragging the pole behind him on the sidewalk. Atticus said, 'Stop ringing that bell.' Dill grabbed the clapper; in the silence that followed I wished he'd start ringing it again. Atticus pushed his hat to the back of his head and put his hands on his hips. 'Jem,' he said, 'what were you doing?'" (p.48) The feeling of shame is detected through Jem's actions; the fact that he must have looked so regretful that his usually snappy sister could not tease him and also the fact that he was trudging and dragging his pole instead of carrying it clearly shows how ashamed and dejected Jem must have felt in that moment. Tension is sensed by readers when the narrator states that the silence that followed Atticus sternly ordering Dill to stop ringing the dinner bell was so unbearable and intense that she wished the bell would start ringing again, just to fill the noiselessness. Atticus's actions while questioning Jem also create a tense feeling because readers infer that Atticus is very unimpressed and annoyed by what the children have done, and it seems that Jem will be in a lot of trouble.
2) What emotional response is provoked in the reader by this element? Which words or phrases help to provoke this emotional response?
The element might cause readers to feel sympathy towards Jem, Scout and Dill; but it also gives the satisfying feeling of justice being served. Sympathy is provoked through Harper Lee's description of Jem's physical actions after being caught by Atticus. "Jem looked so awful I didn't have the heart to tell him I told you so. He trudged along, dragging the pole behind him on the sidewalk." (p.48) These two sentences of physical description suggest that Jem regrets what he has done now that Atticus knows about it and also that he knows he has disappointed the father he respects so much; this would cause readers to empathize with Jem. Satisfaction is delivered when the author describes how "Atticus pushed his hat to the back of his head and put his hands on his hips." (p.48). The reason for readers to feel this emotion would be because they would understand that what Jem did was disturb the Radley's and make Boo Radley seem like a zoo attraction when he is merely another human being. Atticus believes in equality and does not want his children to believe in the town's gossip so the readers know that he will not let Jem get away with it, and this seems fair shows that what goes around comes around.
3) How does this element help build the characters? Which particular words or phrases help to build the characters?
This element really helps build the characters of Atticus and Scout. Atticus saying the short phrase of "'Stop ringing that bell.'" (p.48) demonstrates that he is not going to brush the situation off or allow his children to think that what they did isn't bad. This shows how he is stern and strict, but always for a good reason. Scout's character builds because previously in the book she seemed very rude, impolite and brash; but this image crumbles a little when she says that "Jem looked so awful I didn't have the heart to tell him I told you so." (p.48). This proves that she does have a filter, that she cares about her brother and that she draws the line at making someone feel worse when they already feel bad- it makes her a more likeable character.
PHOTO BANK OF CHAPTER 5 by Claire
Azaleas
Page 46, "Jem and I had always enjoyed the free run of Miss Maudie's yard if we kept out of her azaleas.."
Scuppernongs
Page 46, "Out tacit treaty with Miss Maudie was that we could play on her lawn, eat her scuppernongs..."
Scuppernongs are a species of grape native to the southeastern United States.
Nutgrass
Page 47, "If she found a blade of nutgrass in her yard, it was like the Second Battle of the Marne."
Flights of Martins
Page 48, "Watching flights of martins sweep low over the neighbourhood.."
Purple martins are a type of migratory bird, they are also the largest swallows in the United States.
Bridgework
Page 49, "Miss Maudie settled her bridgework.."
Bridgework is a partial denture attached to the surrounding teeth.
Ravelling a Thread
Page 51, " 'Gracious child, I was raveling a thread...' "
Poundcake
Page 51, " 'How'd you like some fresh poundcake to take home?' "
Poundcake is a traditional cake made from four ingredients: flour, sugar, butter and eggs.
Mail Plane
Page 47, "...he had been up in a mail plane seventeen time..."
A mail plane is an aircraft used to carry mail, aircraft was used exclusively for mail before World War II.
Old Dinner Bell
Page 54, "I was looking down the street when the dinner bell rang."
Vocabulary by Jithmi
1. Tacit - Understood or implied without being stated. “Our tacit treaty with Miss Maudie was that we could play on her lawn...” (p.42)
2. Magisterial - Having or showing great authority “....she would appear on the porch and reign over the street with her magisterial beauty” (p.42)
3. Benevolence - Kind, sincere and well meaning. “Miss Maudie’s benevolence extended to Jem and Dill...” (p.43)
4. Cordiality - Kindness and warmth. “...a gesture of cordiality which cemented our friendship.” (p.43)
5. Hitherto - An adverb meaning until now or until the point in discussion. “...we reaped the benefits of a talent Miss Maudie had hitherto kept hidden from us.” (p.43)
6. Communion - A sharing or exchange of intimate feelings and thoughts, especially on a mental and spiritual level. “ ‘But we can’t have communion with you all-’ “ (p.44)
7. Pulpit - A raised platform in a church or chapel, where the preacher delivers a sermon from. “My confidence in pulpit Gospel lessened at the vision of...” (p.44)
8. Inquisitive - Curious or inquiring. “...he had the right to stay free inside free from the attentions of inquisitive children, which was a mild term for the likes of us.” (p.49)
9. Asinine - Extremely stupid or foolish. “...we were not to play an asinine game he had seen us playing or make fun of anybody in this street or in this town-” (p.49)
CHAPTER 5 STUDY GUIDE - Claire Mulder and Jithmi Pathirana
Chapter Summary by Jithmi
Chapter five of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee begins with readers discovering that Scout is being excluded by both her brother Jem and the boy who asked her to marry him, Dill. With no one else to go to, Scout has no other choice than to turn to their neighbor and old friend Miss Maudie Atkinson. Miss Maudie is a widow who has always maintained a good relationship with the Finch siblings; she would never rat them out to Atticus and they an agreement which involved allowing the children into her back lot as long as they stayed away from her beloved garden. More information is provided about the early life of Arthur “Boo” Radley through Miss Maudie, who knew him as a little boy. Miss Maudie explains to Scout one night that while Arthur was polite as he could be towards her when they were young, being trapped inside that house for so many years must have driven him crazy. She also reveals her distaste for people who make rumors about Boo Radley and she says to Scout that there are some people who are so worried about the next world they forget to live in this. The next morning, Dill and Jem attempt to shoo Scout away as always, but she refuses and they have no choice but to let her in on their big plan for the day. Jem and Dill decide to sneak Boo Radley a note ordering him to come out of his house and offering to give him some ice cream and not harm him if he did so. Since they are all quite terrified of the Radley Place and what lies inside it, they choose to use a fishing pole to stick the note on the window in order to avoid being found or caught. Scout and Dill are assigned the job of watch outs: with Scout stationed in the back garden of the Radley house and Dill at the front of the house, ready to ring a silver dinner bell which once belonged to Jem and Scout’s mother if he sees anyone coming. The plan is quickly shattered when Dill ends up ringing the bell and coming face to face with Atticus Finch. Atticus is extremely disappointed with what the children were trying to do, telling them to respect Boo Radley’s privacy and the Radley family’s right to live in peace without being bothered by children. Jem protests to this at first and insists that they were not making fun of Boo Radley, but Atticus uses his courtroom techniques to force Jem to admit that Boo was involved in their games. Frustrated, bewildered and offended that his father had tricked him; Jem pouts and yells at Atticus that he once used to want to become a lawyer but now he wasn’t so sure.
Setting by Jithmi
Mostly set in Miss Maudie’s house, the Finch household backyard and the Radley Place.
Character Profiles by Jithmi
Readers have gotten to know the characters of Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, Jeremy "Jem" Finch, Charles Baker "Dill" Harris, Atticus Finch and Boo Radley in earlier chapters and this continues in chapter five. Miss Maudie Atkinson was briefly mentioned before in the book but her character develops a great deal in this chapter.
Even though he was indirectly referred to as the brother that Atticus payed medical school tuition for, a new character is introduced in the chapter: Uncle Jack.
Characters in order of mentioning and appearance
Jean Louise “Scout” Finch: Chapter five begins with Scout being excluded by her brother Jem and friend Dill, which makes her naturally feel neglected. Her opinion of Dill also declines because of how easily he followed Jem. Due to this she grows closer to her neighbor Miss Maudie, who answers many questions she’s had about Boo Radley and life in general. Eventually she is allowed to join in Jem and Dill’s plan to send Boo Radley a note, but only because they feared she would tell on them.
Jeremy “Jem” Finch: Jem’s pride as an older brother and boy take center stage in this chapter when he decides to become closer to Dill and shut out Scout from their plans. He masterminds a plan to sneak Boo Radley a note, but this plan is not successful and they are caught by Atticus. Jem greatly desires his father’s approval and when Atticus scolds him for making fun of Boo Radley and tricking him into admitting it, he becomes upset and yells after Atticus that, “I thought I wanted to be a lawyer but I ain’t so sure now!”.
Charles Baker “Dill” Harris: We find out in the beginning of this chapter that Dill asked Scout to marry him earlier on in the summer and had said she was the “only girl he could ever love”. However, he joins Jem in excluding Scout from all their activities. He later becomes the lookout during Jem’s plot to sneak Boo Radley a letter. While participating in the plan as a look out he is the one who rings the silver dinner bell in Atticus’s face, leading their plan to failure.
Miss Maudie Atkinson: Though Miss Maudie was mentioned earlier in the book, readers are given a much better idea of who she is when Scout decides to spend more time with her now that her brother and friend are ignoring her. Miss Maudie is a widow who hates her house and loves being outside it at all times. She is very protective over her garden of flowers which she tends to constantly. The neighbor of Jem and Scout, Miss Maudie understands children well and has deals with the Finch children that help them see her as a friend. She once knew Arthur “Boo” Radley and she says that although he was “as polite as he could be” to her when they were little, being locked inside that house for so long must have driven him insane. She does not believe or like people making rumors about Boo Radley and she believes that the Radley’s spend too “much time worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one”. Miss Maudie is the same as Atticus in the sense that she teaches Scout to question prejudice and treat people with respect, e.g. Boo Radley.
Arthur “Boo” Radley: Through Miss Maudie, Boo Radley’s character slowly transforms from a one dimensional monster to a human being in this chapter. He is said to have been very polite in his young years and it becomes more understandable that he must have suffered mentally from being locked inside his house and by his father’s intolerance and cruelty.
Uncle Jack Finch: Uncle Jack is a new character introduced as a doctor and Atticus’s younger brother- ten years his junior. He is a rich and successful doctor who lives in Nashville. Readers find out about him through Miss Maudie, who knew him because they had “grown up together at Finch’s Landing”. Every Christmas when he visits Jem, Scout and Atticus, he becomes drunk and asks Miss Maudie to marry him. The impression is given that he is not a serious character.
Atticus Finch: Atticus in this chapter plays a small but important role, catching the kids during their plan to give Boo Radley a note. He expresses his disapproval of how they are ridiculing Boo Radley and succeeds in forcing Jem to admit that they are making fun of Boo.
Key Elements/Events by Claire
1) For each key element, what sort of atmosphere is evoked? Which words or phrases help to create this atmosphere?
When Dill is a lookout in Jem's plan to send Boo Radley a letter and he rings the warning silver dinner bell in Atticus Finch's face, the children are forced to explain exactly what it is they are doing despite the fact that they know Atticus disapproves of it, and Jem becomes very ashamed of his actions and angry at the fact that Atticus used his lawyer tricks to get them to admit that what they had done was wrong. An atmosphere of shame and tension is created. "Jem looked so awful I didn't have the heart to tell him I told you so. He trudged along , dragging the pole behind him on the sidewalk. Atticus said, 'Stop ringing that bell.' Dill grabbed the clapper; in the silence that followed I wished he'd start ringing it again. Atticus pushed his hat to the back of his head and put his hands on his hips. 'Jem,' he said, 'what were you doing?'" (p.48) The feeling of shame is detected through Jem's actions; the fact that he must have looked so regretful that his usually snappy sister could not tease him and also the fact that he was trudging and dragging his pole instead of carrying it clearly shows how ashamed and dejected Jem must have felt in that moment. Tension is sensed by readers when the narrator states that the silence that followed Atticus sternly ordering Dill to stop ringing the dinner bell was so unbearable and intense that she wished the bell would start ringing again, just to fill the noiselessness. Atticus's actions while questioning Jem also create a tense feeling because readers infer that Atticus is very unimpressed and annoyed by what the children have done, and it seems that Jem will be in a lot of trouble.
2) What emotional response is provoked in the reader by this element? Which words or phrases help to provoke this emotional response?
The element might cause readers to feel sympathy towards Jem, Scout and Dill; but it also gives the satisfying feeling of justice being served. Sympathy is provoked through Harper Lee's description of Jem's physical actions after being caught by Atticus. "Jem looked so awful I didn't have the heart to tell him I told you so. He trudged along, dragging the pole behind him on the sidewalk." (p.48) These two sentences of physical description suggest that Jem regrets what he has done now that Atticus knows about it and also that he knows he has disappointed the father he respects so much; this would cause readers to empathize with Jem. Satisfaction is delivered when the author describes how "Atticus pushed his hat to the back of his head and put his hands on his hips." (p.48). The reason for readers to feel this emotion would be because they would understand that what Jem did was disturb the Radley's and make Boo Radley seem like a zoo attraction when he is merely another human being. Atticus believes in equality and does not want his children to believe in the town's gossip so the readers know that he will not let Jem get away with it, and this seems fair shows that what goes around comes around.
3) How does this element help build the characters? Which particular words or phrases help to build the characters?
This element really helps build the characters of Atticus and Scout. Atticus saying the short phrase of "'Stop ringing that bell.'" (p.48) demonstrates that he is not going to brush the situation off or allow his children to think that what they did isn't bad. This shows how he is stern and strict, but always for a good reason. Scout's character builds because previously in the book she seemed very rude, impolite and brash; but this image crumbles a little when she says that "Jem looked so awful I didn't have the heart to tell him I told you so." (p.48). This proves that she does have a filter, that she cares about her brother and that she draws the line at making someone feel worse when they already feel bad- it makes her a more likeable character.
PHOTO BANK OF CHAPTER 5 by Claire
Azaleas
Page 46, "Jem and I had always enjoyed the free run of Miss Maudie's yard if we kept out of her azaleas.."
Scuppernongs
Page 46, "Out tacit treaty with Miss Maudie was that we could play on her lawn, eat her scuppernongs..."
Scuppernongs are a species of grape native to the southeastern United States.
Nutgrass
Page 47, "If she found a blade of nutgrass in her yard, it was like the Second Battle of the Marne."
Flights of Martins
Page 48, "Watching flights of martins sweep low over the neighbourhood.."
Purple martins are a type of migratory bird, they are also the largest swallows in the United States.
Bridgework
Page 49, "Miss Maudie settled her bridgework.."
Bridgework is a partial denture attached to the surrounding teeth.
Ravelling a Thread
Page 51, " 'Gracious child, I was raveling a thread...' "
Poundcake
Page 51, " 'How'd you like some fresh poundcake to take home?' "
Poundcake is a traditional cake made from four ingredients: flour, sugar, butter and eggs.
Mail Plane
Page 47, "...he had been up in a mail plane seventeen time..."
A mail plane is an aircraft used to carry mail, aircraft was used exclusively for mail before World War II.
Old Dinner Bell
Page 54, "I was looking down the street when the dinner bell rang."
Vocabulary by Jithmi
1. Tacit - Understood or implied without being stated. “Our tacit treaty with Miss Maudie was that we could play on her lawn...” (p.42)
2. Magisterial - Having or showing great authority “....she would appear on the porch and reign over the street with her magisterial beauty” (p.42)
3. Benevolence - Kind, sincere and well meaning. “Miss Maudie’s benevolence extended to Jem and Dill...” (p.43)
4. Cordiality - Kindness and warmth. “...a gesture of cordiality which cemented our friendship.” (p.43)
5. Hitherto - An adverb meaning until now or until the point in discussion. “...we reaped the benefits of a talent Miss Maudie had hitherto kept hidden from us.” (p.43)
6. Communion - A sharing or exchange of intimate feelings and thoughts, especially on a mental and spiritual level. “ ‘But we can’t have communion with you all-’ “ (p.44)
7. Pulpit - A raised platform in a church or chapel, where the preacher delivers a sermon from. “My confidence in pulpit Gospel lessened at the vision of...” (p.44)
8. Inquisitive - Curious or inquiring. “...he had the right to stay free inside free from the attentions of inquisitive children, which was a mild term for the likes of us.” (p.49)
9. Asinine - Extremely stupid or foolish. “...we were not to play an asinine game he had seen us playing or make fun of anybody in this street or in this town-” (p.49)